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Digital presence can be somewhat of a buzzword in the PHCP-PVF industry as it continues to adapt and evolve in an accelerating digital age. Each company may have a different definition of what digital transformation means to them. For Fargo, North Dakota-based PHCP distributor Dakota Supply Group, it’s simply about delivering the best online solutions to its customers.

There’s a shift happening in showrooms, and experts say it’s not about competing with the internet, it’s about offering an experience that can’t be matched by online shopping.

It is pretty rare to see a private, family-owned company reach fourth-generation leadership, much less fifth. For more than a century — 120 years to be exact — the Dowd family has led Charlotte, North Carolina-based pipe and fitting manufacturer Charlotte Pipe and Foundry. Built by W. Frank Dowd in 1901, the original foundry in Charlotte employed 25 men and produced cast iron soil pipe and fittings.

After enduring a unique set of challenges through 2020 and 2021, industry experts are excited to move forward into another high-demand year. The excitement is coupled with caution, as supply chain constraints, material pricing and labor shortages are not expected to resolve themselves in the near future.

The topic of labor has been front and center for quite some time now inside and outside of this industry. But it wasn’t until the recent Thanksgiving holiday break that it really hit home as to just how bad the current situation is. While waiting for my daughter to finish a recent fitness class, I decided to run a quick errand to mail a package. While driving down this road in an industrial park setting, business after business had roadside signs looking for labor — virtually every business on this busy road.

Plumbing and Heating Wholesale (PHW) announced the acquisition of Sioux City, Iowa-based industrial supplier Wigman Co. Wigman will initially continue to operate in their current location under the same name, plans will be made in the future to identify a new home for Wigman Co. and the industrial team.

Rinnai America announced its soon-to-be-completed North American facility located in Griffin, Georgia. Rinnai is investing in product development for tankless water heaters, boilers, wall furnaces and more on US soil. Alongside business development, Rinnai will also play a role in the local economy by fulfilling 150 positions by early 2022. 

As I’ve been back out attending in person events this Fall, I’ve noticed the conversation surrounding what we’re doing as an industry to bridge the labor gap and recruit more talent has a common theme.

The American Supply Association’s Fred V. Keenan Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest honor that can be given to a member of our industry’s national trade association.

Hot water has been around since man first harnessed the power of fire, but when at elevated temperatures it is dangerous and even deadly.